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Topic: is Atripla the 'strongest' med to be starting on for 'med 1st timers'??? (Read 1873 times)

of all the meds available i just want the 'strongest' and most effective med and/or meds at stopping the hiv virus replecation process; despite side effects or easy vs non-easy med regimines. i am a 'med treatment virgin' and this is what my hiv dr. wants me to start on/with. do most of y'all agree??? matt

The drugs in Atripla have proven to be very successful at supressing the HIV virus and is a preferred first line treatment option for NRTI/NNRTI combos. There are quite a few people on these forums that are on Atripla or Truvada/Sustiva. I am sure your doctor will come up with a treatment option that is right for you, whether that is Atripla or not will be something he will no doubt discuss with you. There are a lot of very good/potent hiv drugs.

I agree, there are lots of potent combinations out there. I don't know if Atripla is the strongest (i.e., most potent). But it's a combination with a long history of good suppression. I think Kaletra is potent as well. You also need to consider side effects. While one drug/combo may be slightly more potent on paper, it may not be as effective because it has more side effect issues (leading to less adherence or changing the meds). Be open to other suggestions besides Atripla (it happens to be the newest drug, but it's really just the combination of drugs already on the market).

The usual formula for first-time therapy is two nukes + EITHER a non-nuke OR a boosted PI. Atripla conforms to this forumula.

It is not the only first-line option, and doctors who say it is the "strongest" are strictly speaking wrong. The key drug here is Sustiva. This is known to be effective at suppressing the virus and can be a durable drug (ie you can take it for many years). But others are just as effective.

Choice of first line combo should take into account your life pattern, nature of your HIV (inc. resistance esp. if any), preferences, other medical conditions etc. There is no automatic best first line combo.